Earth Systems Atmosphere Practice exam and study guide second quarter

Answer the next three questions using the information from this graph:

1. What percent of radiation is absorbed by Earth’s surface or atmosphere?

A. 23 percent

B. 30 percent

C. 53 percent

D. 70 percent

2. How will the graph change if the snow and ice melted and was reduced as a percentage of Earth’s surface? The amount of radiation absorbed

A. by Earth’s surface would decrease.

B. by the atmosphere would decrease.

C. by the clouds would increase.

D. by Earth’s surface would increase.

3. How does sunlight change as it is absorbed?

A. It becomes heat.

B. It becomes light.

C. It becomes matter.

D. It becomes radiation

Use this diagram to answer the next three questions. The light is shining on an empty container covered with plastic wrap.

4. If temperatures were taken both inside and outside the container, what would this apparatus model?

A. how solar radiation is produced

B. the effect of light on air

C. the greenhouse effect

D. the formation of clouds

5. What would you expect the temperature of the air inside the container to be when compared to the outside?

A. warmer

B. cooler

C. the same

D. more humid

6. If the model were compared to Earth, what does the plastic wrap represent?

A. the solid surface

B. the waters of the ocean

C. the atmosphere

D. the clouds

7. How is the atmosphere altered by greenhouse effect?

A. It warms when sunlight changes to heat that cannot escape.

B. It warms whenheat is changed back into light energy and is reflected

C. It cools when sunlight isblocked and energy is reduced

D. It cools when heat escapes from “open windows” in the clouds

Use this diagram to answer the next two questions:

8. What percent of the sun’s light is not changed to heat?

A. 6%

B. 26%

C. 31%

D. 69%

9. Where is sunlight changedto heat?

A. when the rays from the sun arescattered by the atmosphere

B. as it travels to Earth from the sun

C. when it is reflected from thesurface back into space

D. when it is absorbed by theatmosphere and Earth’s surface

10. The planet Mars has little atmosphere. At any given location, temperatures change daily from far below zero to above 100 degrees C. What is Mars lacking that would explain these extremes?

A. a greenhouse effect

B. living things that use gases

C. an ozone layer in the upper atmosphere

D. active geology that produces volcanoes

Use this information to answer the next three questions.

Temperature vs. Global Radiation (Sunlight)

11. Why are temperatures highest near day 200 (July)?

A. The suns is closer to Earth.

B. The global radiation is near its peak.

C. The atmosphere traps heat best in June.

D. The most CO2 is generated in summer months.

12. What relationship exists between air temperature and global radiation?

A. They are directly related, when one goes up so does the other.

B. They are inversely related, when one go up the other goes down.

C. They are conversely related, the up and down cycles match each other.

D. There is little relationship between the two factors.

13. What question was investigated based on the data graphed here?

A. What part of Earth has the most global radiation over the year?

B. Does radiated heat affect conditions found in outer space?

C. Does the amount of cloud cover affect the temperature on Earth?

D. Does the amount of radiation from the sun affect air temperature?

14. At which angle of sun’s rays does the greatest heating occur?

A. when the sun is on the horizon.

B. when the sun is half way up in the sky

C. when the sun is directly overhead

D. the suns rays are always the same.

15. Why do areas of Earth near the equator have different climate and weather than areas near the poles?

A. the areas near the poles receive more solar energy than the equator

B. the areas near the equator receive more solar energy than the poles

C. the equatorial areas have more ocean surface which provides different weather.

D. the polar areas have ice sheets which reflect the suns rays.

Use this diagram of the Sun shining on land and a lake to answer the next two questions:

16. Where would you expect to find the warmest temperatures?

A. A or B

B. B or C

C. C or D

D. A or D

17. What does the unequal heating of air masses cause?

A. Coriolis effect

B. atmospheric circulation

C. ozone depletion

D. greenhouse effect

Use this diagram to answer the next three questions:

18. What is the pattern of movement in the Hadley cells?

A. Warm air rises, cooler air sinks

B. Air moves from north to south

C. Air moves from east to west

D. Cool air rises, warm air sinks.

19. Most of the United States lies between 30N latitude and 60 N. What direction does most of the weather flow?

A. south to west

B. north to south

C. east to west

D. west to east

20. What net effect do these circulation patterns have on Earth?

A. They alter the path of sunlight and create hot spots.

B. They distribute energy and heat on the surface.

C. They slow down the movement of wind and air.

D. They cause local winds, tornadoes and hurricanes.

21. Which winds did early explorers in sailing ships depend on to get to North America from Europe?

  1. Northeast Trades
  2. Southeast Trades
  3. Westerlies
  4. Polar desert winds

22. What is the apparent shift in the paths of winds due to the rotation of Earth called?

A. convection current

B. Coriolis effect

C. doldrums

D. greenhouse effect

23. How does the Coriolis effect alter the flow of currents in the ocean?

A. they move up when the water is warm and down when it is cold.

B. they travel across oceans because the wind blows them.

C. they curve instead of traveling in a straight line

D. they are constantly changing course.

24. If you collect data on March 9 for air temperature, humidity, cloud cover and air pressure, what are you measuring?

A. radiation

B. soil type

C. climate

D. weather

25. Which instrument would be used to measure air pressure?

  1. thermometer
  2. barometer
  3. hygrometer
  4. anemometer

26. What happens when an air mass moves rapidly upward?

A. temperatures fall, water vapor condenses

B. temperatures rise, water vapor condenses

C. temperatures fall, water vapor evaporates

D. temperatures rise, water vapor evaporates

27. What conditions create the most severe thunderstorms?

  1. A heavy rain is followed by high winds and hail
  2. A thick cloud formation is blown by high speed winds
  3. A cold air mass comes in contact with warm, moist air
  4. A high pressure system is trapped in a mountain valley

28. Why do hurricanes develop over oceans?

  1. The ocean winds blow from north to south.
  2. The ocean currents cause air to move toward the land.
  3. The ocean is affected by the Coriolis effect.
  4. The ocean adds water vapor to the air mass.

29. Why are states in the mid-central United States more likely to have tornados than other areas?

  1. Their buildings are poorly made structures that do not resist strong winds.
  2. The cold dry air from Canada contacts warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico.
  3. The Coriolis effect is stronger over land that is flat and far from ocean.
  4. The lack of mountains to stop the winds from blowing allows tornados to form.

30. What will warm, moist air that moves upward over a mountain range most likely do?

A. heat up

B. form clouds

C. sink

D. evaporate

31. When does a low pressure system form?

  1. When warm air rises
  2. When warm air sinks
  3. When cold air rises
  4. When cold air sinks

32. How do winds in a low pressure system that forms in the Northern Hemisphere move when viewed from space?

  1. clockwise
  2. counter clockwise
  3. up
  4. down

33. What type of weather is associated with an incoming low pressure system?

  1. clear skies, cold weather
  2. cloudy, hot weather
  3. clear skies, hot weather
  4. warm temperatures, wind

34. When is evaporation of a pond most likely to happen?

  1. when a cold front arrives
  2. when a warm front arrives
  3. during high pressure
  4. during low pressure

35. Which diagram represents a low-pressure system?

A. B. C. D.

Use this diagram to answer the next two questions:

36. What will happen to temperatures in the Providence area in the next day or two?

  1. They will rise
  2. They will fall
  3. They will stay the same
  4. They will rise then fall

37. What is the weather in Buffalo?

  1. cloudy, cold
  2. cloudy, warm
  3. clear, cold
  4. clear, warm

Use this diagram to answer the next two questions:

38. Which type of front is described by this drawing?

  1. warm
  2. cold
  3. occluded
  4. stationary

39. Which characteristic of the cold air makes this a slow moving front?

  1. its low moisture content
  2. its direction of movement
  3. its higher density
  4. its cloud content

40. What direction do air masses move in the United States?

  1. From north to south
  2. From south to north
  3. From west to east
  4. From east to west

41. Why are towns near an ocean often warmer in winter and cooler in summer than towns at the same latitude but located inland?

A. Oceans stabilize the temperatures of air masses that form over them.

B. Oceans add carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, to air masses in the area.

C. Oceans have rapid temperature changes that allow air to move and mix.

D. Oceans add humidity to the air that reduces the cloud cover, allowing more sunlight.

42. The students think that changes in the air pressure will occur before a storm arrives. How should they write their hypothesis?

  1. If the barometer reading falls, then a storm is coming.
  2. If the thermometer reading goes down, then a storm is coming.
  3. If the anemometer reading rises, then a storm is coming.
  4. If the hygrometer reading rises, then a storm is coming

Use this graph to answer the next questions.

Temperature vs. Air Pressure

(Units are relative to the data collected.)

43. How are air pressure and temperature related during this time period?

  1. Directly, when one goes up, the other goes up.
  2. Indirectly, when one rises, the other is unaffected.
  3. Conversely, when one goes up, it makes the other go up.
  4. Inversely, when one goes up, the other goes down.

44. How should this weather pattern be interpreted?

  1. High pressure causes clouds which create heat.
  2. Low pressure causes cold winds to blow from the east.
  3. High temperatures cause air to rise and create low pressure.
  4. Low temperatures create high humidity and cause air to rise

KEY:

  1. D
  2. D
  3. A
  4. C
  5. A
  6. C
  7. A
  8. C
  9. D
  10. A
  11. B
  12. A
  13. D
  14. C
  15. B
  16. A
  17. B
  18. C
  19. D
  20. B
  21. A
  22. B
  23. C
  24. D
  25. B
  26. A
  27. C
  28. D
  29. B
  30. B
  31. A
  32. B
  33. D
  34. C
  35. A
  36. B
  37. C
  38. A
  39. C
  40. C
  41. A
  42. A
  43. D
  44. C